Rail anchor



Dec. 8, 1931. P. w. MOORE RAIL ANCHOR Filed June 5, "1950 Patented Dec. 8, 1931 UITED STATES PAT NT- orFIcE,

PHILIP W. MOORE, OF HUBBARD WOODS, ILLINOIS, 'ASSIGNOR TO THE 8c OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A'CORPORA'IION OF ILLINOIS M COMPANY,

RAIL ANCHOR A pplicatio n filed ni es, 1930. "Serial No. 459,304,

This invention relates to devices for resisting longitudinal creeping movements of railroad rails and especially to devices of the above general character adapted to be secured to arailroa'd rail in'a position to abut against a stationary part of theroadbed.

The principal object of theinvention is to provide a simplified device which can be made very cheaply, easily applied to the rail, and which will maintain a firm hold on the rail when in its applied position.

A more specific object is to provide a rail anchor device made of resilient material and so formedthat the resilient-qualities ofthe metal serve to maintain the rail engaging portions at a suitableangle to the bottom surface of the rail base so as to effect a shackle grip on the top and bottom'surfaces of the rail, which shackle grip will be increased whenthe rail anchor is forced against an adjacent cross tie by the longitudinal creeping movement of the rail. i

A further specific object is to provide a onepiece rail anchor in the form of a clip having spaced arms recessed to receive one edge of the base flange of a rail, which arms are resilient and so disposed with relation to each other that it is necessary, in applying the de vice to the rail to flex the arms longitudinally of the rail, whereby upon release of the arms the reflex of the metal moves therail gripping portion of the clip into spring gripping engagement with the top and bottom surfaces of the rail base.

A further object of the invention is to provide a clip of the above character which can be applied to either side of a railroad rail and which may be applied to bear against either of two adjacent ties so as to resist longitu'di nal creeping movement of the rail in either direction. e I

The invention has for a still further object such other new and improved constructions in rail anchoring devices hereinafter described and claimed for carrying out the above mentioned objects or suclf'other incidental objects as will appear from a detailed description of the invention.

In the drawings: F ig. l is afragmentary side view of'the base portion of a railroad rail and a cross tie showing a 'rail anchor device constructed inaccordance with my invention appliedto one base flange of the rail in a position to bear againstthe said cross tie. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the device of my invention flexed to an initial positionto permit it to be applied to the base flange of a rail.

Fig. 3 is a view'in perspective of the form ofrail anchor device illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, i 4 ma view similar to Fig. lshowing a modified form of rail anchor applied in its operative positionto the base flangeiofa railroad rail,- and e F ig. 5 is a view in perspective of a modified construction shown in Fig. 4.

Referring first to Figs. 1, 2 and 8' of the drawings: I

The anchor shown in these figures consists of a U-shaped clip, the arms 10 and 11 of which are formed with recesses 12 and 13 adapted to receive the marginal portion of one base flange 14 of a rail. The bend 15 of the clip is preferably of such size as to permit normal flexing of the arms longitudinally of the rail without over-stressing of the metal and also maintain the arms normally in spaced relation to each other whenthe clip is in its applied position? The recesses 12 and 13 provide each arm of the clip with upper and lower jawslG and 17 and l8l9, respectively. The rail engaging surfaces of the jaws of one arm extend at an angle to the corresponding surfaces of the jaws of the other arm so that a vprojection of their planes intersect each other intermediate the arms as illustrated at A and B in Fig. 1. This angular'disposition of the jaws is provided preferably, though not necessarily, by. form-. ing the walls of said recesses at substantially. right angles to the sideplanesof the arms, and then so bending the clip that the arms 10.11 normally converge toward their 'up- I per ends when the clip is free of the rail. The recesses 12-13 are preferably of such size that they will receive the flange 14: of the rail only when the arms'lO1l are moved to-' ward aposition perpendicular to the bottom surface of the rail base-that is to say, by a movement of the arm tending to move the recesses into horizontal alignment. In the latter position of the arms, the clip may be moved transversely of the rail base so that the jaws embrace the marginal portion of the base flange 14 at locations spaced longitudinally of the rail. The reflex of the metal of the clip, the clip being preferably spring steel, tends to move the clip arms toward the angular positions from which they were sprung and consequently tends to move the edges 16-18 of the upper jaws and the edges 17 -19 of the lower jaws into spring gripping engagement with the top and bottom surfaces of the rail base. After the jaws have been moved into their rail flange embracing position the flexing pressure on the jaws is released, whereupon the reflex action of the metal moves the arms longitudinally of the rail toward the position from which they were sprung. The amount of this longitudinal reflex movement of the arms depends upon the size of the recesses 12-13 relative to the thickness of the base flange embraced. Preferably,the size of said recesses is such as to permit the return of the arms to an angular position as shown in Fig. 1; In such position of the arms of the clip, the lower portion of the clip bears against the vertical face ofan adjacent cross-tie 20.

Consequently any creeping movement of the rail in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, exerts pressure on the lower portion of the clip and tends to increase the shackle or lever grip of jaws 16-17 on the top and bottom surfaces of the base flange 14; of the rail. Movement of the rail in the opposite direction, while holding the lower portion of the clip against movement, increases the grip of jaws 18-19 on the rail. The 'arms 10-11 of the clip may be spread apart, preliminary to the application of the clip to the base flange of a rail, by driving a'wedge between said arms or by the use of any other suitable spreading implement.

Figs. land 5 illustrate a modified construction. The modified'const'ruction, however, is of the same general type as the clip shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive except that the arms 21-22 of the clip normally diverge toward their upper ends instead of converging as illustrated in the preceding figures. In the modified embodiment the arms 21-22 are moved toward each other to bring the arms into aposition perpendicular to the bottom surface of the rail base substantially as shown in Fig. 2, and the reflex of the metal, upon-releasing said jaws, moves them longitudinally of the rail until they assume the position shown in Fig. 4. In this position it will be seen that the upper and lower jaws 23-24: and 25-26 are moved into spring shackle gripping engagement with the top and bottom surfaces of the rail base. The

arm 22 bears against the adjacent cross tie and due to the angular position of the arm increases the gripping action of jaws 25-26 on the rail base when the rail tends to creep in the direction indicated by the arrow. Reverse creeping movements of the rail increase the grip'of the jaws 23-24 in the same manner as described in connection with the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive.

Whilel have described my invention in connection with two specific embodiments, it will be obvious to those familiar with this art that other modifications will readily suggest themselves. It will be understood therefore that'I contemplate all such modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

' Iclaim:

1. A rail anchor comprising a substantially U-shaped clip formed with upturned arms having recesses near their upper ends to receive one flange of a rail base, said upturned arms being formed to normally stand at an angle to each other when the anchor is free of the rail and the walls of each of said recesses being substantially perpendicular to the side plane of the upturned arm'in which the recess is formed, whereby said upturned arms of the clip must be flexed longitudinally of the rail to bring-the walls of said recesses into horizontal alignment with the top and bottom surfaces of the base flange of the rail prior to engagement of the clip over the said base flange. i

2. A rail anchor comprising a clip formed of plate steel bent to provide upturned arms base flange of a rail, said recesses being of such size and said arms being disposed at an angle to each other whereby it. is necessary, preliminary to engagement ofthe clip over the base flange of the rail, to flex the said arms of the clip longitudinally of the rail.

'3. A rail' anchor comprising a flat spring metal member bent to form a U-shaped clip having spaced upturned arms each arm being provided with a recess adapted to receive the edge portion of one flange of a rail, the said arms being disposed at an angle to each other and the said recesses being formed of such size that it is necessary to move said arms toward a position perpendicular to the bottom surfaceof the rail base flange preliminary to applying the clip on said flange, the reflex of said arms toward the position from which they were sprung serving to hold said arm portions in shackle gripping engagement with the top and bottom surfaces of said base flange. 7

f. A rail anchor comprising a U-shaped clip formed with upturned arms which converge towardtheir upper ends and are recessed to provide jaws for gripping the top and bottom surfaces of one base flange of a rail, the recesses being so positioned in said converging arms that the arms must be flexed longitudinally of the rail preliminary to the application of said jaws over the rail base flange whereupon the reflex of the arms, when released from said preliminary flexing, move the arms to angular positions relative to {the rail base to exert shackle grips on the ase.

5. A rail anchor comprising a clip made from plate spring metal bent to a U-shape to form upturned arms which diverge toward their upper ends and recessed to provide aws for gripping the top and bottom surfaces of one base flange of a rail, the recesses being so disposed in said diverging arms that the arms must be flexed toward each other preliminary to application to said jaws over the rail base flange.

PHILIP W. MOORE. 

